1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia Junior Z

“Izzat a 300ZX?” It’s a question Mike Glore often hears when he takes his Alfa Romeo Giulia Junior Z to a show. Yes, it has a “Z” on the side behind the front wheel, but that “Z” stands for Zagato, as in the long-time Italian coachbuilder of some spectacular cars. Glore has a number of unusual automobiles, so he’s used to that kind of question and is very diplomatic with his answers, providing as much information as the questioner seems to want.

Finding a Jr Z

Glore had not been an Alfa enthusiast. His tastes ran more to British cars, but “I had a friend who was a big Alfaholic, and he was pushing me toward various Alfas. I really liked the Jr Z shape, and the fact that the Zagato body made it rarer.” So, the search began for his first Alfa. Glore continued, “I was going to Pebble Beach with a doctor friend of mine to look at a Jr Z at Fantasy Junction – blue car. It was sold days before I arrived. So that bit me with the Junior Z bug pretty seriously.” He then talked to a Jr Z guru in California, who believed there were only about 36 in U.S. and Canada. The guru called Glore a few days later about a gold Jr Z for sale… in Spain. The guru said it looked like a good car, but it was actually on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. “[The seller] didn’t speak English, and I didn’t speak Spanish. However, we were able to communicate through translations on the Internet. I agreed to purchase the car without any knowledge of how difficult it would be to get it to the States. I had never imported a car.” The purchase was completed in May, but Glore would not see the car until November.

He talked to importers of cars at Pebble, but they were not interested in such a “cheap” car. It was up to Glore to find a shipper. “The problem is that shippers don’t pick up on islands, they pick up at main ports, which are usually on the mainland.” The former owner ultimately found the solution. He kept the car in his garage for six months until he found shippers who would get the car to the Spanish mainland and then to U.S.

Glore then had to find an import broker to pass the car through customs. “Customs is a giant black hole, and when they get your car, they have it for as long as they want it.” He was looking forward to picking up the car at the port when he was contacted by Customs. He would have to pay extra to have the car x-rayed! He finally got the car after two weeks, delivered in the back of a container, strapped with four flimsy straps, one to each wheel. “One strap broke, allowing the car to move within inches of redesigning it.”

Once home, Glore changed a few things to get the car streetable. He smiles when he talks about the car: “The car rides very well. The rear hatch comes up and closes by a rocker switch on the dash to aid air flow, which it does very well. It runs good, it’s a five-speed, and can easily hold its cruise at 90 or 100. And nobody knows what it is.”

Driving Impressions

First, I have to apologize to Mike Glore for drooling on his car. I have been a fan of the Jr Z since I saw my first one in the early ’70s. I had a chance to buy one for $10,000 around 1980, but that was outside my budget at the time. My son-in-law, aka Glore’s “Alfaholic” friend, passed up another about ten years ago for $30,000. Values have gone up since.

As always, I try to familiarize myself with a new car before taking it for the ride. The Jr Z is easy. The dash is very familiar – I’ve had a number of Alfas with similar dashes. All the good gauges are there – tach, speedo in KM, water temp, oil pressure, fuel. The five-speed transmission is like every Alfa I’ve owned. The wiper and heater controls are on the console, similar to my first Alfa (1971 1750 Berlina). There is a rocker switch that raises and lowers the rear of the hatch, and an old style cigarette lighter. And the seats are very nice – plenty of padding, so they’d be fine for a long trip. Steering wheel is wood, and it looks and feels fine, and the horn buttons are right where you want them – no airbag causing you to have to take you hand off the wheel to blow the horn.

The clutch on Glore’s Jr Z engages high up, which takes a little getting used to. Once under way, it’s clear that this is an Alfa. It certainly sounds like an Alfa – nice noises from both ends. The Webers make that sexy intake noise, and the exhaust, well it is just cool.

The car pulls nicely from a stop, but it’s really fun over 3000 rpm – that’s where it just scoots. A light car and a 1600-cc engine makes for a good combination. The transmission is also typically Alfa. It’s not one you want to slam the gears; it prefers smooth, precise shifts. They don’t have to be slow, just precise shifts. Handling is also very Alfa – softly sprung but still no lean in smooth fast corners, and it handles bumps well. After driving front-wheel-drive cars daily, it was nice to experience a rear-wheel-drive car’s tight turning circle. Glore summarized the car’s character well, “This car has good manners.” In. every way, this is a very comfortable car. It validated my lust for one.

Specifications

Valuation